WorldPosted at: Nov 5 2026 9:48PM


Houthis demand $51bn in compensation and formal recognition by Saudi Arabia to end hostilities

Sanaa/Riyadh, Nov 5 (UNI) Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi milita has demanded $51bn in compensation and formal recognition as the country’s governing authority during negotiations with Saudi Arabia as conditions for ending hostilities, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
Citing people familiar with the discussions, the newspaper reported that the Houthis sought the payment as compensation for years of Saudi-led airstrikes and a prolonged blockade.
Although other figures were subsequently discussed, any potential settlement would still involve tens of billions of dollars. There has been no indication that Riyadh has accepted the demands or made a counteroffer.
Saudi Arabia reportedly initiated contact with the group after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and the seizure of strategic positions overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime passage connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
This marks a considerable challenge for Riyadh, as recognising the Houthis as Yemen’s governing authority would be tantamount to effectively legitimise a movement against which the kingdom has fought for years and which controls large parts of the war-torn nation.
Separately, Saudi authorities issued warnings on Thursday over potential threats to Yanbu, the kingdom’s main Red Sea oil export hub, as Houthi attacks opened another front in the wider US-Israeli war against Iran.
The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had intercepted and destroyed a missile fired towards Medina, Islam’s second-holiest city. Saudi civil defence authorities also issued emergency alerts to residents of Sharurah, in the kingdom’s south-east near the Yemeni border.
The Houthis did not claim responsibility for any attack on Saudi Arabia on Thursday. However, the group said a day earlier that it had targeted Riyadh’s international airport while Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was visiting the kingdom. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the reported attack.
During the visit, al-Sharaa witnessed the signing of a defence agreement alongside Crown Prince Mohammed. It was the Syrian president’s second visit to Saudi Arabia in less than a month.
No details of the agreement were made public, although Reuters reported last month that Damascus was cautiously considering military assistance to Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter and a key US ally, has been seeking defensive and offensive military assistance from partners in the US, Europe and West Asia as tensions with the Houthis intensify.
Egypt approved a military assistance role for Saudi Arabia last month involving its armed forces, among the largest in the region.
Turkey is also preparing to ratify a mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The pact includes a collective defence provision that would commit Turkey’s military, NATO’s second-largest, to defending the kingdom.
Britain announced in October that it would deploy fighter jets on defensive missions to protect Saudi cities from Houthi aerial attacks.
The negotiations come amid continued fighting inside Yemen. Government forces have announced advances in eastern Al-Jawf under Operation Dawn of Yemen, while clashes have continued in Taiz and Lahj.
As of now it is unclear whether the Saudi-Houthi discussions could produce a wider ceasefire covering the Yemeni conflict or a narrower arrangement focused on stopping attacks against Saudi territory and shipping.
The reported negotiations have also left unanswered questions about the role of Yemen’s internationally recognised government and other local forces in any eventual settlement.
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